How is it possibly the last week of October??? As my "custom quilts business" has dropped off this year I have slowly embraced a slower paced life with no pressure of deadlines or "time is money" thoughts that I pushed upon myself, I have had some thoughts about definitions of words. Words/terms like sewing room vs. studio... crafter vs. quilter or artist... blanket vs. quilt. I'll get delve into some of these thoughts after we take a look at this week's Sew & Tell feature. I'll warn you now... It's a winding rabbit trail so you may want to grab a cup of coffee or tea and maybe even a snack. ;)
Gwyned at Life of an artist shared some delicate bookmarks that she made for an upcoming, I'll call it a "holiday show." She explains the process...
I enjoy visiting Gwyned's blog each week. In addition to sharing the projects she's been enjoying, she always asks an insightful or thought-provoking question of her readers. I enjoy hearing the thoughts of others and the opportunity to share my own thoughts. Be sure to give her a visit... you won't be disappointed.
She is a great example of the crafter vs. quilter/artist. A good number of years ago I was actively participating in the various shows and farmers market events selling my products. At one particular show a woman from a local quilting group was adjacent to my table. During a slow time of visitors, she perused my table and acted shocked at the prices I asked. She boldly asked me, "do you sell many items?"
I responded with, "it depends on the show and the audience." I then spent a little time looking at her items. The prices were well below my prices... as was the quality... but she sold many items. Most of her prices would not have even recovered the cost of materials.
On that particular day I didn't sell a thing. I left frustrated and disappointed. I came to realize that she was a crafter. It was just something she enjoyed doing in her retirement and covering the cost of product didn't matter. The shows gave her an outlet for her to sell her items and an opportunity to see people.
That was the day I realized that I am an artist. Is making a profit the sole purpose of my quilting. No, but it certainly makes life a little more comfortable. I am forever grateful for all Dave does for us to earn a living and the many opportunities we have to DIY a project and save some money. I am always looking for bargains... whether at the grocery store, clothing or a fabric store to better stretch those earnings.
It wasn't long after that show that I/we decided it wasn't worth the time and effort to participate in anymore local shows. I will just say that most of local people would not even entertain the idea of purchasing an Amish quilt at the prices they ask and leave it at that. ;)
Anyway... it wasn't long after that show that my "sewing room" became my studio. Did I change anything in it??? No. I changed the way that I viewed not only it, but ME! Shannon Brinkley put it this way:
A sewing room is where your machine happens to live. A studio is a space you've set up on purpose to make you feel the way you want to feel when you create. You're the resident artist.
I AM an artist! I am a quilter! I make quilts! I make other things as well... I have even made some blankets. I used to get quite upset when someone would call one of my quilts a blanket. I would often correct them... I eventually have let go of the pet peeve. Does it still bother me? Yessss... Do is correct them? Only in my mind and I don't linger on it. Most of the time they are telling how much they appreciate the blanket or that their grandchild loves to snuggle in the blanket... I don't focus on the word blanket for long... I return to the conversation and absorb and appreciate the loving compliment or statement.
I make quilts to be used and loved... not to be stored in a cabinet because it is too good or nice to risk using and having damaged. I'll never forget that just a week after finishing a quilt with blocks that one of our daughters brought home as a souvenir from Hawaii our cat was napping on one of our laps on top of the newest quilt. Something startled him and as he leaped off the lap ripped a nice tear into one of the blocks with a back claw. I was so upset... I mended it... but it was still noticeable. Twenty-five years later... it is part of the story of the quilt. My love for that cat never diminished.
Ok... Thanks for sticking with me in all of those thoughts. I have learned that when I listen to books, I don't get quite so philosophical and wordy because my attention is turned to the stories in my ears. ;) Am I the only one that makes up pictures or visuals as the story is read??? Anyway... here's what I was occupied with in the studio this week.
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| Historical fictions are my favorite genre |
I cut and sewed (the first step) 2-1/2" strips to make up my two jellyrolls needed for the quilt retreat and I made blocks for four audio books. #1 - The Canary Girls takes place during WWI in England. Early in the Great War, men left Britain’s factories to enlist and arsenals hired women to replace them. Their recruiting slogan: Be the Girl Behind the Man Behind the Gun. Thousands of women—cooks, maids, shopgirls, and housewives—answered their nation’s call. These “munitionettes” worked grueling shifts handling explosives with little protective gear. #2 - When We Had Wings is a WWII story from the Philippines. In this sweeping story based on the true experiences of nurses dubbed the “Angels of Bataan,” three women shift in and out of each other’s lives through the darkest days of the war, buoyed by their unwavering friendship and distant dreams of liberation.
#3 - Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet In 1986, Henry Lee joins a crowd outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle's Japantown. It has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has discovered the belongings of Japanese families who were sent to internment camps during World War II. As the owner displays and unfurls a Japanese parasol, Henry, a Chinese American, remembers a young Japanese American girl from his childhood in the 1940s—Keiko Okabe, with whom he forged a bond of friendship and innocent love that transcended the prejudices of their Old-World ancestors. All three stories told of details that I was unaware of. Fascinating!
Glamorous Illusions takes place in 1913 and is my current entertainment. It had a slow start, but I am glad that I stuck with it. I have started joining my bookish journal quilt blocks together with some scrappy sashing strips... With an outer border it will be about 60" wide.
Whew... that was a lot! I'll take my words/thoughts and bid you farewell. But before you go was there anything that struck a chord with you?
Have you had to reframe a thought or approach to a situation?
Was there anything in particular that you found helpful?
Leave a comment... I'd love to hear from you!
Keep Piecing,
Melva
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